What are Moai statues?

About Moai statues:

• They are massive megalithic stone-carved human-shaped statues found at Easter Island.
• They are famous for their carved heads and "Pukao," a hat-like covering made from a soft red stone.
• They were built inapproximately 1400 - 1650 A.D. by the natives of this island known as Rapa Nui.
• There are around 1000 Moai statues which are made up of volcanic tuff, the tallest of them being 33 feet.
• On average, they weigh between 3 to 5 tons, but the heaviest ones can weigh up to 80.
• The tools used for carving the moai statues are called toki, and are simple handheld chisels. 
• What do moais represent?
  • They were built to honor chieftains or other important people who had passed away.
  • They were placed on rectangular stone platforms called ahu, which are tombs for the people that the statues represented.
  • The moais were intentionally made with different characteristics since they were intended to keep the appearance of the person they represented.

Easter Island:

• Easter Island, also called Rapa Nui, is a remote Chilean territory located in the Pacific Ocean, roughly 2,200 miles from mainland Chile.
• It is one of the most remote inhabited places in the world.
• Much of the island, which is home to some 8,000 residents, is protected as a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site.